


To Slay a Dragon

by celeste9



Category: Primeval
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Dragons, F/M, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-12
Updated: 2015-01-12
Packaged: 2018-03-07 07:30:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3166586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celeste9/pseuds/celeste9
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The dragon was clearly guarding something, and what else could it be but some poor, helpless maiden the dragon had stolen from out of her bed? It wasn’t right. Something needed to be done about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Slay a Dragon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Clea2011](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clea2011/gifts).



> For Clea2011 in Fandom Stocking. Fills AU: Fantasy on my Trope Bingo card.

Becker gazed out towards the tower every day.

It was there peeking out over the trees at the edge of the forest, long miles from the village. He could only see it from a high vantage point, when he climbed up into a tree. Sometimes when he watched he could see the dragon circling, or see the flames it left behind itself.

The dragon was clearly guarding something, and what else could it be but some poor, helpless maiden the dragon had stolen from out of her bed? It wasn’t right. Something needed to be done about it. Dragons couldn’t be allowed to terrorise the land and maidens couldn’t be left scared and alone with no one to fight for them.

“But you don’t actually know there’s a girl in there,” Connor said as he watched Becker saddle up his horse.

“There must be. What else could it be?”

“Loads of things, actually. Starting with treasure. Dragons are hoarders, you know.”

Becker aimed a look in Connor’s direction which he felt adequately conveyed his thoughts on the matter.

Connor rolled his eyes. “Fine, leaving aside your faulty logic, there is one other issue. I know we tell stories about dragon slaying, but have you ever actually met someone who’s done it?”

“Suppose I’ll be the first then.” Becker quite liked being first.

“Oh, you are stupidly heroic, aren’t you? Emphasis on the stupid part. If you’re going to go hunting after dragons, you ought to take an army with you.”

“Are you going to volunteer?”

“Well, no. Because it’s stupid. The dragon isn’t bothering anyone. Why not leave it alone?”

“Because it’s a dragon,” Becker said, and swung himself up astride his horse. He took the reins in hand and nudged the horse into motion.

“They won’t write a ballad about you if it eats you,” Connor called after him.

Becker ignored him.

-

It took the better part of a day to reach the tower. Becker dismounted and tied his horse to a tree, leaving him hopefully out of danger of the dragon’s attack. He would need a way home when he returned with the damsel. Who would be very grateful, Becker was sure.

Becker could not see the dragon as he walked out of cover of the trees. It would be fortunate if he could climb the tower and rescue the maiden without ever encountering the dragon, but then, it would also make for a dull story.

He kept his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to use it at a moment’s notice.

The moment occurred when Becker felt the rush of wind, only to realise that it was the dragon swooping down to land on the path before him. Becker drew his sword and said, “Release the maiden and no harm will come to you!”

Becker felt it was only fair to give the thing a chance, you see. Fair play and all that.

The dragon settled in the dirt, peering down its long snout at Becker. “The maiden? Oh, you mean Jess? Yes, I suppose she’s a maiden. Technically.”

Becker found himself momentarily struck dumb. He felt that was a reasonable reaction.

“Sorry, did I frighten you? I suppose most people haven’t actually ever seen a dragon before.”

That was enough to spur Becker back into action. He settled into a fighting stance, keeping light on his feet, ready to spring if and when the dragon went for him. “I’m prepared to slay you, dragon, in order to rescue the fair maiden you are holding captive.”

The dragon made a sort of snorting noise, hot breath spurting out from its nostrils. “Holding her captive? _Me?_ Why, I never, how rude.”

Before Becker even knew what was happening he had been caught up in the dragon’s talons as it took flight, his sword falling uselessly to the ground. He struggled but the dragon was far too strong.

“Slay me, indeed,” the dragon was muttering as it flew up to the tower. There was a window near to the top, and presumably this was where the damsel spent her days, trapped, sitting forlornly by the window and watching the world go by without her.

The dragon hovered in mid-air outside the window. “Jess!” it said. “There’s a man here to see you. Says he’s come to rescue you. There might have been something about slaying me as well, but I’m sure I couldn’t have heard him properly.” The dragon’s grip tightened around Becker in a manner that suggested it knew exactly what it had heard.

A woman came to the window, looking out, but Becker could only make out the vaguest outline of her from his position. “Oh! Do let him in, Jewel. I want to speak with him.”

“As you like.” The dragon deposited Becker into the tower through the open window, none too gently, and Becker found himself tumbling out onto the floor.

“Ow,” he said.

The whoosh of beating wings led Becker to believe the dragon was flying up to the top of the tower, a fact that was all but confirmed when he heard a thud on the roof. Moments later the dragon’s large head appeared outside the window as it craned its neck to see them.

“I hope you’ll behave yourself,” it said, no doubt meant to be threatening.

Becker ignored it in favour of getting himself back up to his feet, which brought him face to face with the damsel in the tower. Jess was her name, he had gathered.

She was a tiny thing but as beautiful as Becker could have imagined. He hoped he wasn’t staring. She had long brown hair done up in an elaborate braid twisted on the top of her head, with ringlets framing her elfin face. Her eyes were large and blue to match the dress that hugged her slender frame.

Jess put her hands on her hips. “What’s this about slaying? You won’t be slaying anything around here, I can assure you.”

“Uh,” Becker said, and attempted to regain control of his senses. “I thought you were in danger. I thought it was keeping you here against your will.”

“Against my will?” Jess was laughing, but Becker hadn’t the slightest idea what for. “I am here because I choose to be here, because it is the only place where we can be left alone. Do you know what people do to dragons?” She wasn’t laughing any more.

Becker felt somehow lesser as he bore the brunt of her glare. “I might do, yeah.”

“Then you can see why we’ve come to stay here. So no one will bother us.” She was still fixing Becker with a stern, reproachful stare.

“My apologies?” Becker said meekly. “I thought you were in trouble.”

“And you thought you’d get a feather in your cap by slaying the fearsome dragon that’s never bothered a soul in her life.”

Becker felt entirely scummy now that she put it like _that._ “I did say I was sorry. And I haven’t slayed anything at all.”

“As if you could,” the dragon butted in.

Somewhat mollified, Jess said, “I suppose that’s all right then. If you only wanted to help. And if you promise not to go round hurting a gentle creature like Jewel.”

Though Becker was unconvinced that the dragon was ‘gentle’ (he had the bruises to prove it), he said, “I promise.”

“Good.” Jess nodded approvingly. “You might like to join us for tea, then, as long as you’re here.”

“Yes?” Becker said. He wasn’t certain he could refuse.

“Jess,” the dragon said from outside the window, prompting Jess to come closer to it. “His head might be filled with ridiculous notions, but he is pretty to look at. Perhaps it might be all right for him to stay a while.”

“I can hear you, you know,” Becker said. Dragons were not the best at whispering, apparently.

“It’s rude to eavesdrop,” Jess told him. For such a small person she possessed a good deal of command.

Becker quietly turned away, though he couldn’t magically stop hearing their conversation.

“He is very decorative,” Jess agreed with the dragon. “And I expect he can be taught manners and the proper way of thinking.”

“Oh, yes,” the dragon said. “It does get ever so lonesome around here.”

“Right,” Jess said, addressing Becker once again. “Do you want to stay for supper as well? And for perhaps the foreseeable future?”

Well, they wouldn’t be writing any ballads about him slaying dragons, Becker realised, but perhaps they might write one about him having tea with a dragon instead.

**_End_ **


End file.
